Guide pirate ships to defend your fort from an invading armada. Drag the ships into battle using your finger.

Pirates are fascinating. You needn’t look any further than the box office or your favorite amusement park for proof. But whether it’s the dangers of the open sea, or the lure of buried treasure that draws us to them, one thing remains clear: wherever pirates go, gruesome and bloody battles are sure to follow.

Thankfully, The Battle of Pirate Bay provides a safe way to skirmish on the open-seas. It’s a fun and challenging alternative to the frightening reality of pirate life. And for only $.99 in copper, you can keep your gold coins buried beneath the sand.

Gameplay comes down to managing a fleet of three ships for the best possible defense of your base. Players guide the ships around the screen, dragging a line to their destinations to intercept and destroy the oncoming enemy armada. Each ship bears a different balance of strengths and weaknesses, so there’s a good deal of strategy to be had in holding the enemy at bay.

Be warned, MPAA and RIAA: The Pirate Bay is armed!

With a top-down perspective and colorful visual style, Pirate Bay feels surprisingly polished. Deep blue water fills the screen as cannon fire sends plumes of dark curly smoke into the clouds. An epic musical score accompanies the action, broken only by the boom of battle and the call of birds. An impression of care and dedication becomes quickly apparent, and Pirate Bay is a true value in the presentation department.

Online leaderboards help to keep the competition fresh, and allowing players to vote on upcoming updates’”an approach that we’re extremely impressed with’”is likely to add a good deal of longevity to this budget-friendly outing.

There’s an impressive amount of depth and fun to be found in The Battle of Pirate Bay. And for fans of pirates especially, this is a battle that is not to be missed.

Editor’s Note: Cheap Shot is a new review feature where we pick a game that costs $.99 or $1.99 and give it the quick review treatment. While you won’t find a 1-4 score or our usual pros and cons, you will get a direct assessment of the game based on a one-hour playthrough. You’ll still find our full-length, regular reviews for other games.

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